creative, fun, clever, romantic, heartwarming and DIY - great ideas for special touches at your wedding

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TO CREATE YOUR OWN WEDDING MAGIC LET YOUR WEDDING MATCH YOUR STYLE

TO CREATE YOUR OWN WEDDING MAGIC LET YOUR WEDDING MATCH YOUR STYLE. Chris and Kyle are big Dr. Who fans and the TARDIS was on the guest book canvas that was to be framed after the wedding. (photo by Hannah Woodard Photography)

CELEBRATING THE HEART AND CREATIVITY IN WEDDINGS

Welcome! This site is a tribute to my many wedding couples who have created unique and beautiful surroundings for their weddings. Their creativity and ingenuity reflected their personalities and together we have often created new ways to modernize old traditions.

If you are looking for a minister for your wedding in the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, NC, contact me for a free consultation. Together we can create a ceremony that reflects your love, your personality and your dreams for your future.

Erica and Paul wanted an outdoor wedding that was fun, casual and laid-back. They started by choosing The Inn at Celebrity Dairy in Siler City as the location. A working goat farm, it is not a place one would think of for a wedding, but that is actually part of its charm. It is relaxed and rustic and you can even help them feed the goats if you like. (The goat cheese they make is delicious!)

Because it is October, they decided to use an autumn theme for the wedding decorations. Everything was absolutely beautiful and there are so many clever things to show you.

Here are their colorful aisle, arbor and sunflower bouquets.

They even came up with a creative way to camouflage a drainage pipe that was near where the Bridesmaids would stand!

The reception tent was aglow with beautiful autumn colors.

And the place card holders were these cute little pine cones.

The great room of the Inn is a huge expanse of bright light. Along the walls are colorful paintings and a long table runs down the center. Complete with a stone fireplace on one side, it is easy to see why people like to be there so much.

These are their delicious-looking cookies, made by their friend who owns a bakery named Half Baked (what a great name). Erica made the hand-drawn labels and Paul wrapped and labeled the cookies.

They also had paper leaves laid out for the guests to write them notes upon and then hang the leaves on the branches in the pots. How wonderful that must have looked with all the leaf-notes hanging.

They had placed a photo of themselves between wedding photos of their parents. A heartfelt note to all the guests was another nice touch.

And what an unexpected way to set out their ceremony programs.

Erica and Paul read poems to each other during the ceremony and they were a big hit with the guests. It’s always nice to hear laughter at a wedding because you know the guests are enjoying what is going on. For this couple and their guests, the fun and laughter were going to continue into the wee hours of the morning.

The photographer for the day was Geoff Johnson of Geoff Johnson Films. He took some wonderful photos, a few of which are already posted on his blog and Facebook page. Here’s a link to the great slideshow he put together. I love his style and he captured the feel of the day perfectly. The aisle photo above is Geoff’s work and this photo of Paul twirling Erica is one of my favorites.

Erica and Paul, I so enjoyed being a part of your beautiful wedding celebration. May your marriage and your lives continue to glow with many happy days of fun and laughter.

Erica and Paul wanted an outdoor wedding that was fun, casual and laid-back. They started by choosing The Inn at Celebrity Dairy in Siler City as the location. A working goat farm, it is not a place one would think of for a wedding, but that is actually part of its charm. It is relaxed and rustic and you can even help them feed the goats if you like. (The goat cheese they make is delicious!)

Because it is October, they decided to use an autumn theme for the wedding decorations. Everything was absolutely beautiful and there are so many clever things to show you.

Here are their colorful aisle, arbor and sunflower bouquets.

They even came up with a creative way to camouflage a drainage pipe that was near where the Bridesmaids would stand!

The reception tent was aglow with beautiful autumn colors.

And the place card holders were these cute little pine cones.

The great room of the Inn is a huge expanse of bright light. Along the walls are colorful paintings and a long table runs down the center. Complete with a stone fireplace on one side, it is easy to see why people like to be there so much.

These are their delicious-looking cookies, made by their friend who owns a bakery named Half Baked (what a great name). Erica made the hand-drawn labels and Paul wrapped and labeled the cookies.

They also had paper leaves laid out for the guests to write them notes upon and then hang the leaves on the branches in the pots. How wonderful that must have looked with all the leaf-notes hanging.

They had placed a photo of themselves between wedding photos of their parents. A heartfelt note to all the guests was another nice touch.

And what an unexpected way to set out their ceremony programs.

Erica and Paul read poems to each other during the ceremony and they were a big hit with the guests. It’s always nice to hear laughter at a wedding because you know the guests are enjoying what is going on. For this couple and their guests, the fun and laughter were going to continue into the wee hours of the morning.

The photographer for the day was Geoff Johnson of Geoff Johnson Films. He took some wonderful photos, a few of which are already posted on his blog and Facebook page. Here’s a link to the great slideshow he put together. I love his style and he captured the feel of the day perfectly. The aisle photo above is Geoff’s work and this photo of Paul twirling Erica is one of my favorites.

Erica and Paul, I so enjoyed being a part of your beautiful wedding celebration. May your marriage and your lives continue to glow with many happy days of fun and laughter.

What a glorious day they had for their wedding! The air had cooled off, the sun was shining and everything around them was in full sparkle mode, including KJ’s earrings, whose fiery sparkles were shining all over Joel’s jacket.

Karen (known as KJ to everyone) was also wearing her 18th birthday pearls that her parents had given to her to wear someday at her wedding. This was certainly the day for those pearls!

They chose as their setting the Page-Walker Arts and History Center in Cary. Built in the 1800s, it was originally a hotel right across the street from the train station and has now become a cute little art and history gallery with a lovely landscaped garden beside it.

The garden and other side of the house are ringed with interesting sculptures that add a nice touch of whimsy.

The inside, decorated with period antiques, is filled with artwork from artisans in many mediums.

The reception was set up in the main gallery but guests were free to roam through the house and grounds as they wished.

Here is their adorable cake, created by Debbie Mallard of The Cake Walk. Notice their pets included on the topper. Very cute.

After the ceremony, KJ and Joel took full advantage of the lovely landscaping to take some wedding photos. Here’s one of my favs;

The ceremony music was provided by violinists from Meredith College and the catering was from Babymoon Cafe, a local Italian reasturant. Judging from the smells coming from the food area, the meal was going to be mighty delicious!

It was a beautiful day and a happy wedding. What a perfect combination! KJ and Joel, I wish you all the best in your life to come. May all your dreams come true in unique and wonderful ways.

What a glorious day they had for their wedding! The air had cooled off, the sun was shining and everything around them was in full sparkle mode, including KJ’s earrings, whose fiery sparkles were shining all over Joel’s jacket.

Karen (known as KJ to everyone) was also wearing her 18th birthday pearls that her parents had given to her to wear someday at her wedding. This was certainly the day for those pearls!

They chose as their setting the Page-Walker Arts and History Center in Cary. Built in the 1800s, it was originally a hotel right across the street from the train station and has now become a cute little art and history gallery with a lovely landscaped garden beside it.

The garden and other side of the house are ringed with interesting sculptures that add a nice touch of whimsy.

The inside, decorated with period antiques, is filled with artwork from artisans in many mediums.

The reception was set up in the main gallery but guests were free to roam through the house and grounds as they wished.

Here is their adorable cake, created by Debbie Mallard of The Cake Walk. Notice their pets included on the topper. Very cute.

After the ceremony, KJ and Joel took full advantage of the lovely landscaping to take some wedding photos. Here’s one of my favs;

The ceremony music was provided by violinists from Meredith College and the catering was from Babymoon Cafe, a local Italian reasturant. Judging from the smells coming from the food area, the meal was going to be mighty delicious!

It was a beautiful day and a happy wedding. What a perfect combination! KJ and Joel, I wish you all the best in your life to come. May all your dreams come true in unique and wonderful ways.

Katherine and David currently live and work in Maryland, but they met at graduate school at Wake Forest University. With family still in the area, they came back to NC to marry. What a charming couple! They contacted me by phone and I was very flattered when they decided to work with me for their wedding without having met me beforehand. (Thanks, you guys.)

They chose The Highgrove Estate in Fuquay-Varina as the perfect setting for their wedding. On hand to make sure everything went off exactly as it should was Ann Eberle, who is a staff wedding planner at The Highgrove. She is so good at what she does that I always know weddings where she is in charge are going to be caringly and professionally managed.

Because David is of Spanish heritage, he and Katherine wanted to incorporate their different cultures into the ceremony. They decided that they both would say their ring vows in Spanish, which was a lovely idea. Katherine did a beautiful job of it and you could see David’s family leaning forward to hear her speak in Spanish - and smile happily for her when she was finished. Talk about the family rooting for you! It was a very sweet moment.

To further include the Spanish heritage, they had a friend, Nadya, read a passage from First Corinthians in Spanish and incorporated the traditional custom of the groom giving 13 coins to the wife to represent his trust in her to help him provide for the family. And with a modern and decidedly American twist, Katherine gave him back the coins to represent exactly the same thing to the husband.

When Katherine was a little girl she had been a Flower Girl at a wedding and her mom had saved the dress all these years. She used it to make the ring pillow and ring pouch for Katherine’s wedding. Both are shown here, with the pouch being held by the Best Man, Orlando, who carried the rings into the ceremony in that pouch.

Her mother also made this beautiful family tree sampler as a wedding gift for Katherine and David and it was appropriately displayed on the guest book table between wedding photos of each of their parents.

Katherine loves the designer, Kate Spade, and couldn’t resist these blue satin pumps to wear as her “Something Blue,” along with the blue accent in the hairpiece in her hair.

The Farrell Sisters were on hand to provide the ceremony music in harp and flute. That is always a beautiful combination and Brittany and Marissa did an exemplary job.

Because it is October, they used these cute little pumpkins as place card holders for the guests. How elegant they all look sitting on the table.

In the photograph below, notice the photographer in the background. That is Jennifer Kromhout of Acorn Photography. Jennifer and I have not worked together at a wedding in a long while and it was great seeing her again and watching her in action. I know her photos are going to be tremendous - they always are. She was ably assisted that day by Ashley (sorry I didn’t get your last name, Ashley.).

The wedding flowers were not the orange and yellows one might expect of an October wedding. They were instead rich tones of reds and purples and were just magnificent. Matching and accentuating the purple of the Bridesmaid dresses, these flowers were so amazingly beautiful that they took your breath away. Created by Mel Day of Dogwood Tree Floral Designs, they were just elegant. No wonder they are an award-winning floral design house!

Here is the gorgeous wedding cake, also strewn with the beautiful flowers.

Katherine and David, you put together a beautiful and touching wedding that celebrated both your families and your heritages in a rich and elegant way. My best wishes to you both in your lives to come. Mejor de las suertes! (Best of luck!)

Katherine and David currently live and work in Maryland, but they met at graduate school at Wake Forest University. With family still in the area, they came back to NC to marry. What a charming couple! They contacted me by phone and I was very flattered when they decided to work with me for their wedding without having met me beforehand. (Thanks, you guys.)

They chose The Highgrove Estate in Fuquay-Varina as the perfect setting for their wedding. On hand to make sure everything went off exactly as it should was Ann Eberle, who is a staff wedding planner at The Highgrove. She is so good at what she does that I always know weddings where she is in charge are going to be caringly and professionally managed.

Because David is of Spanish heritage, he and Katherine wanted to incorporate their different cultures into the ceremony. They decided that they both would say their ring vows in Spanish, which was a lovely idea. Katherine did a beautiful job of it and you could see David’s family leaning forward to hear her speak in Spanish - and smile happily for her when she was finished. Talk about the family rooting for you! It was a very sweet moment.

To further include the Spanish heritage, they had a friend, Nadya, read a passage from First Corinthians in Spanish and incorporated the traditional custom of the groom giving 13 coins to the wife to represent his trust in her to help him provide for the family. And with a modern and decidedly American twist, Katherine gave him back the coins to represent exactly the same thing to the husband.

When Katherine was a little girl she had been a Flower Girl at a wedding and her mom had saved the dress all these years. She used it to make the ring pillow and ring pouch for Katherine’s wedding. Both are shown here, with the pouch being held by the Best Man, Orlando, who carried the rings into the ceremony in that pouch.

Her mother also made this beautiful family tree sampler as a wedding gift for Katherine and David and it was appropriately displayed on the guest book table between wedding photos of each of their parents.

Katherine loves the designer, Kate Spade, and couldn’t resist these blue satin pumps to wear as her “Something Blue,” along with the blue accent in the hairpiece in her hair.

The Farrell Sisters were on hand to provide the ceremony music in harp and flute. That is always a beautiful combination and Brittany and Marissa did an exemplary job.

Because it is October, they used these cute little pumpkins as place card holders for the guests. How elegant they all look sitting on the table.

In the photograph below, notice the photographer in the background. That is Jennifer Kromhout of Acorn Photography. Jennifer and I have not worked together at a wedding in a long while and it was great seeing her again and watching her in action. I know her photos are going to be tremendous - they always are. She was ably assisted that day by Ashley (sorry I didn’t get your last name, Ashley.).

The wedding flowers were not the orange and yellows one might expect of an October wedding. They were instead rich tones of reds and purples and were just magnificent. Matching and accentuating the purple of the Bridesmaid dresses, these flowers were so amazingly beautiful that they took your breath away. Created by Mel Day of Dogwood Tree Floral Designs, they were just elegant. No wonder they are an award-winning floral design house!

Here is the gorgeous wedding cake, also strewn with the beautiful flowers.

Katherine and David, you put together a beautiful and touching wedding that celebrated both your families and your heritages in a rich and elegant way. My best wishes to you both in your lives to come. Mejor de las suertes! (Best of luck!)

Melissa and Jim wanted a small, intimate ceremony in a romantic setting to celebrate their love and commitment with their closest friends and family. They chose The Arrowhead Inn as the perfect setting for what they had in mind and indeed it was perfect for them. A wonderful Bed & Breakfast, it is charming, romantic and tucked away from the busy pace of life in Raleigh and Durham. The hosts, Gloria and Phil Teber, have put their hearts into creating something very special and I always love doing weddings there. Although they do not predominantly think of themselves as a wedding venue, they nonetheless know how to host a wedding with charm and style and Phil is their resident gourmet chef.

Here are a few photos from the grounds of the Inn that will clearly show why Melissa and Jim chose this location for their wedding;

This is the arbor through which you enter as you follow the walkway to the cabins or the gazebo.

Here are some of the many flowers that line the walkways.

This is the romantic gazebo within which we all stood, with the guests standing in a circle around us. You could feel the love so strongly from everyone.

The ceremony music was provided by Cindy Ribet on the hammered dulcimer, accompanied beautifully by a guitarist whose name I did not get, unfortunately. They made quite a duo and their music was perfect for the bright, sunny day of the wedding.

Here are Melissa and her sister, getting Melissa ready for the wedding. Look at that joy on Melissa’s face!

After the ceremony, everyone walked over to the patio where there were refreshments waiting for them, followed later by a luncheon in the main house.

I loved seeing these crystal goblets catching the dappled sun through the trees as they sat on a lace tablecloth on the patio.

It was a sweet ceremony for the tender love story of two very kind people and it was such a joy to be a part of it. This fun sculpture was at the back of the patio and it says perfectly what I wish for Melissa and Jim - Live, Love, Laugh!

Melissa and Jim wanted a small, intimate ceremony in a romantic setting to celebrate their love and commitment with their closest friends and family. They chose The Arrowhead Inn as the perfect setting for what they had in mind and indeed it was perfect for them. A wonderful Bed & Breakfast, it is charming, romantic and tucked away from the busy pace of life in Raleigh and Durham. The hosts, Gloria and Phil Teber, have put their hearts into creating something very special and I always love doing weddings there. Although they do not predominantly think of themselves as a wedding venue, they nonetheless know how to host a wedding with charm and style and Phil is their resident gourmet chef.

Here are a few photos from the grounds of the Inn that will clearly show why Melissa and Jim chose this location for their wedding;

This is the arbor through which you enter as you follow the walkway to the cabins or the gazebo.

Here are some of the many flowers that line the walkways.

This is the romantic gazebo within which we all stood, with the guests standing in a circle around us. You could feel the love so strongly from everyone.

The ceremony music was provided by Cindy Ribet on the hammered dulcimer, accompanied beautifully by a guitarist whose name I did not get, unfortunately. They made quite a duo and their music was perfect for the bright, sunny day of the wedding.

Here are Melissa and her sister, getting Melissa ready for the wedding. Look at that joy on Melissa’s face!

After the ceremony, everyone walked over to the patio where there were refreshments waiting for them, followed later by a luncheon in the main house.

I loved seeing these crystal goblets catching the dappled sun through the trees as they sat on a lace tablecloth on the patio.

It was a sweet ceremony for the tender love story of two very kind people and it was such a joy to be a part of it. This fun sculpture was at the back of the patio and it says perfectly what I wish for Melissa and Jim - Live, Love, Laugh!

SINCE 2010

SINCE 2012

SINCE 2015

THANK YOU!

I am so pleased to be included in the Couples’ Choice Awards at WeddingWire, the Best of Weddings Picks at The Knot, and to be recognized by The Knot as a Hall of Fame professional. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to put in kind words about me and my work. You are the reason I have received these awards and I thank you all very much.

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CONTACT REV. BARBARA LODGE

THE JOYS OF A WEDDING MINISTRY

I am an ordained Nondenominational minister who specializes in writing unique and personal ceremonies for weddings, vow renewals and christenings. I love the people I meet, the work I do and that I am always surrounded by love

In my 20+ years as a minister, I have delighted in watching the love between people and consider myself blessed to have been called to this ministry. Helping couples create ceremonies that suit their personalities and their lives has been a great joy and lots of fun.

There is no end to what the human spirit can create and it is life-affirming to be a part of the incredible excitement and happiness that weddings always bring.

For those of you whose weddings I have ministered, I thank you for the honor. And for those of you still planning your wedding, I hope the ideas you find here and the links to talented wedding professionals will help you create a wonderful day of your own.

For links to many other excellent wedding professionals with whom I’ve worked, visit the Resource Links page of my website.

A REUNION FOR REV. LODGE AND MEAGAN

I had married Meagan and Jeremy and a few years later Meagan was a Bridesmaid in the wedding of a friend she had referred to me. I love it when that happens!